Jingo
Santana, 1969, from Santana. Solo by Carlos Santana.
The Babatunde Olatunji chant driven by congas, with sharp, repeating guitar lines on top.
Jingo, from Santana's first album, is built on a chant by Babatunde Olatunji and driven by congas and heavy percussion. Carlos Santana's guitar sits on top with sharp, repeating lines that act almost like another percussion instrument, punctuating the groove. When he stretches out, his phrasing is raw and bluesy, full of bends and sustain, but always locked to the rhythm. The track helped establish the band's fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms and rock. Listen for how the guitar repeats short figures in time with the percussion, building tension, then breaks into longer, singing phrases before snapping back into the rhythmic pattern.
Jingo by Santana is ranked #361 in our consensus of 79 guitar-solo lists. The solo is played by Carlos Santana and the song was released in 1969. It appears on 1 lists, placing as high as #184 (Digital Dream Door).
In our lists
Sources
Who played the guitar solo on Jingo?
Carlos Santana played the solo on Santana's Jingo (1969).
Where does Jingo rank among the greatest guitar solos?
#361 in the GreatestSolos consensus of 79 published lists; it appears on 1 of them.